The TOUR Championship at all times gathers golf’s greatest, however heading into this yr’s finale, all eyes are locked on Scottie Scheffler.
The 29-year-old Texan has already collected 5 titles in 2025, together with a victory on the BMW Championship, and is now being hailed by many because the dominant participant of his technology.
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That success, nonetheless, comes with fixed comparisons to Tiger Woods, a story Scheffler has made clear he does not take pleasure in.
When requested throughout his pre-tournament press convention about being the primary participant since Woods (2006-07) to win 5 or extra occasions in consecutive seasons, Scheffler didn’t mince phrases.
“I imply, I believe it is a higher dialogue. I believe within the easiest type, I believe it’s extremely foolish to be in comparison with Tiger Woods,” he mentioned.
Regardless of his reluctance to be measured towards Woods, Scheffler has not shied away from acknowledging the 15-time main champion’s affect on fashionable golf. Actually, his solely on-course expertise with Woods left an enduring impression.
An encounter that modified his perspective
The 2 had been paired within the closing spherical of the 2020 Masters, a event the place neither participant was contending. However for Scheffler, the day revealed a facet of Woods he had by no means witnessed up shut.
“I am unable to inform you the look on his face once we bought to the first inexperienced, and I look over, and we’re in twentieth place, form of taking part in, yada, yada, yada, and I look over and this man is simply locked in, and I used to be stunned. I used to be like, holy smokes. Then we bought to the 2nd gap, and he had this chip shot and he checked out it prefer it was an up-and-down to win the event. I am like, that is unimaginable. I’ve by no means seen something like this earlier than in my life,” Scheffler recalled.
Even on a day when Woods posted a ten on the twelfth gap, he recovered with 5 birdies over his closing six holes, ending with a 76. For Scheffler, the psychological toughness was unforgettable. “I believe he utterly transcended the sport of golf,” he added.
However as a lot as Woods impressed him, Scheffler stays agency in his stance towards comparisons. “I do not even like comparisons to different gamers as a result of I believe once we come out right here, I am doing one of the best I can to be one of the best model of myself. I do not take into consideration legacy, I do not take into consideration the previous. I attempt to get probably the most out of myself every week. I simply do not actually love the comparisons in any respect.”
The Tiger problem at East Lake
Whereas Scheffler could shrug off the Woods parallels, golf analyst Brandel Chamblee believes the last word take a look at lies forward.
Declaring that no FedExCup factors chief has gone on to win the TOUR Championship because the playoffs started in 2007, besides Woods, Chamblee issued a problem.
“For the reason that FedExCup playoffs started in 2007, the participant main the playoffs going into the @TOURChamp has solely as soon as shot the bottom rating at East Lake. In 2007, Tiger Woods, in one among his greatest years ever, was main the playoffs going into the Tour Championship after which shot 257 to win by 8. He was actually on one other stage.”
That “curse” has stood for almost twenty years, and now it is Scheffler’s flip to attempt to break it. Doing so will demand not simply technical precision but additionally the form of psychological edge that Woods displayed repeatedly.
